Frederick Forsyth is the author of nine bestselling novels: The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God and Icon. His other works include The Biafra Story, The Shepherd, a short story collection, No Comebacks, and a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, The Phantom of Manhattan. He has also collected together an anthology of flying tales, Great Flying Stories, which includes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Dahl,Len Deighton and H.G. Wells. He lives in Hertfordshire, England. www.booksattransworld.co.uk Also by Frederick Forsyth THE FOURTH PROTOCOL NO COMEBACKS THE DEVIL'S ALTERNATIVE THE DOGS OF WAR THE ODESSA FILE THE DAY OF THE JACKAL THE BIAFRA STORY GREAT FLYING STORIES THE SHEPHERD THE NEGOTIATOR THE DECEIVER THE FIST OF GOD ICON THE PHANTOM OF MANHATTAN J THE VETERAN AND OTHER STORIES Frederick Forsyth COKGI BOOKS THE VETERAN A CORGI BOOK: 0 552 14923 3 Originally published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers PRINTING HISTORY Bantam Press edition published 2001 Corgi edition published 2002 3579 10 8642 Copyright © Frederick Forsyth 2001 'The Art of the Matter' and 'Whispering Wind' were first published by Online Originals in 2000. The right of Frederick Forsyth to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Condition of Sale This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Set in 10 1/2 12 1/2 pt Palatino by Falcon Oast Graphic Art Ltd. Corgi Books are published by Transworld Publishers, 61-63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA, a division of The Random House Group Ltd, in Australia by Random House Australia (Pty) Ltd, 20 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, Sydney, NSW-206i; Australia, in New Zealand by Random House New Zealand Ltd, 18 Poland Road, Glenfield, Auckland 10, New Zealand-. \ and in South Africa by Random House (Pty) Ltd, Endulini, 5a Jubilee Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. 1 _< Printed and bound in Elsnerdruck, For Sandy, who somehow still manages to put up with me CONTENTS THE VETERAN 9 THE ART OF THE MATTER 107 THE MIRACLE 195 THE CITIZEN 237 WHISPERING WIND 281 'Forsyth in top form...the master storyteller has lost none of his touch' Daily Mail.